Synopses & Reviews
Dearest Reader,
By now you might be wondering: Jenny McCarthy has more to say?! After six New York Times bestsellers, I've talked about pregnancy, autism, and motherhood. I hope you've enjoyed it. I hope it's made you laugh and cry and all those things that bestselling books about such topics are supposed to do.
But this book is about something entirely new--a subject that has pervaded my life since birth and confused the f*ck out of me for about the same time: Catholicism. As I enter into adulthood (play along, thanks), I think I may have finally figured out this faith thing. And what it means to me. But first, I had to reflect on my life. And my memoir, Bad Habits, is the fruit (not the Eve's apple kind) of that labor.
Bad Habits is my journey from aspiring nun at an all-girls Catholic school in the suburbs of Chicago, to Playmate of the Year, to autism awareness activist, to bestselling author, to host of my very own talk show... and all the Hail Marys in between. After reading this book, you'll know why you should wear underwear to church, why Jesus was my Justin Bieber, and why I had to give up giving shit up for Lent.
Bad Habits is also my personal examination of faith and how it turns out to surprise us at the most unexpected moments. It is a book of confessions about confession! I've tried to be brutally honest though it might read as more like embarrassingly entertaining, and I'm always outlandish so that's in here too; but truly, this book is sinfully hilarious (My publisher made me say that).
Bless you my children,
Jenny
Confessions About Jenny McCarthy
"Like spending an afternoon with your best friend"
--Susan Jane Gilman, NPR
"McCarthy brings you in and makes you laugh."
--Booklist
"McCarthy is undeniably crass but funny"
--Publishers Weekly
"Hilarious."
--Time Out New York
"...disarming, funny and so boundless..."
--Arizona Republic
Synopsis
Jenny McCarthy--actress, comedian, activist, and
New York Times bestselling author--candidly recounts her humorous Catholic upbringing, from her childhood dream of becoming a nun to her Playmate of the Year centerfold, and all of the Hail Mary's in between.
In keeping with the theme of her comedic New York Times bestsellers, from Belly Laughs to Love, Lust and Faking It, McCarthy brings her trademark honesty, humility, and humor to bear as she chronicles her often embarrassing, occasionally outlandish, and always entertaining life as a born-and-raised Catholic girl.
Jenny attended one of the most prestigious all-girl Catholic schools in Chicago. While most young girls in Jenny's neighborhood were playing with Cabbage Patch dolls for fun, Jenny was playing with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph dolls. She had every intention of growing up and becoming a nun, but a few hilarious speed bumps and blinking red lights along the way changed her mind. Jenny never did accept Sister Mary's reasoning that she could avoid purgatory if she just bought a string necklace for $10. The fact that two of her aunts are simultaneously nuns and cops-yes, they carry guns and shoot people while wearing a habit-never made complete sense to her. And neither does her mother's insistence that Jenny bury certain religious statues in the front lawns of her houses before she sells them. But then again, Jenny does have four of them buried across Southern California.
This book tells the story of what went wrong during Jenny's Catholic upbringing, or, as Jenny puts it now, what went right. Chapters include: "I Knew I Should Have Worn Underwear to Church", "Jesus' Baby Mama", "Can Someone Kill Our Dog, Please?", and "Oh No, My Mom is Going to Hell."
BAD HABITS is a brutally honest, hilarious memoir that will delight the legions of Jenny McCarthy fans.
About the Author
Jenny McCarthy is the author of six bestsellers, from the comedic Belly Laughs, Baby Laughs, Life Laughs, and Love, Lust and Faking It to her highly regarded books on autism, Louder than Words and Mother Warriors, and she is co-author of the bestselling Preventing Autism (written with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel). She has appeared in many films and television shows, graced the covers of magazines around the world, has been a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, and is currently the president of Generation Rescue (www.generationrescue.org). McCarthy lives in Los Angeles with her son, Evan.